Peru’s March Trade Surplus Widens on Metals, Gas Exports

By Alex Emery -
May 11, 2011

Peru’s trade surplus widened in March
on surging exports of copper, gold and natural gas.

The Andean country posted an $817 million trade surplus in
March, compared with a $476 million surplus a year ago, Peru’s
National Statistics Institute said in an e-mailed report.
February’s trade surplus was $797 million.

Exports climbed 29 percent to $3.6 billion in March from a
year earlier after metal prices rose, the agency said. Imports
rose 20 percent to $2.78 billion. Copper and gold prices rose to
records this year, while Peru doubled gas shipments with the
startup last year of the Peru LNG export plant.

The sol was unchanged at 2.7915 per dollar at 10:40 a.m.
New York time.